Around Town Before the Next Snowstorm

We expect more snow this week, so this afternoon Adam and I got outside for a good walk around town. We do a loop of just over three miles at a good clip. Look what I found along the way ~

Daffodils! ( I hope they survive the coming snow.)

Many sailors pull their boats from the water in the winter to work on the bottoms, take off the masts, slap on a coat of paint. Here's the By-Golly from Clubfoot Creek, North Carolina. Funny names!

Sirius from Belleville, Michigan, just west of Lake Erie; the Idle Queen from Norfolk, Virginia; Diana Cay ~

The Ocean Cruiser from Toronto, Canada; the Pelagia from Ocracoke Island, North Carolina ~

(A friend told me that during Hurricane Irene, many boats were pulled from the water and put 'on the hard,' as they say. Then the storm brought in so much large floating debris -- other boats, gas tanks, docks, outdoor furniture, etc. And the marina owners were around these boats-on-stilts, fending off the debris to prevent it from knocking these boats off their boat stands. Can you imagine if one was knocked over, and they all went down like dominoes? Insurance pay-outs, ch-ching? One marina owner, a bit crazy I'm sure, went out on the river in the middle of the storm, in a dinghy, and retrieved a sailboat that had broken loose and was going unmanned down the river. He succeeded and earned $600 from the owner for his risk and effort. Sailors are a bit loony, you know.)

On the other hand, some of our Oriental homes are not so well cared-for. This old home needs some TLC. We occasionally see people staying here, but no one lives here full-time.

Recently they cleared all the brush from around the house. Perhaps they plan to paint?

I'm hoping these are "before" photos, to be matched with some "after" ones.
When I see foundations and wooden sills like this, I think of how Norm Abram (from This Old House) would shudder! Doesn't this house qualify for some This Old House help? I bet the show's crew would enjoy a stay in Oriental. They could bunk at the marina around the corner and take a sail or two.

The river diamonds were out in full force this afternoon.

My thighs were weary when we came home -- a good work-out. As the sky faded, I felt a quiet evening approaching and the joy of working on my blanket. Here it is thus far. Definitely wide enough to stretch across the bottom of our bed. Not very long yet though.

It looks best from far away, as many of us do ... haha!

The dark blue row is the star pattern again, which I like. The two greens along the top are the first half of another Catharine Wheel.

I forget which crocheting bloggy friend said she was using all her little ends of cotton yarn to knit some cloths, and she was an inspiration. Yesterday at market, my nearly-frozen fingers busied themselves making these two -- one for Julia, one for me.

I made a bit of toast and scrambled egg for supper in front of the Olympics coverage. We're watching via the BBC, and are enjoying their coverage. Can you tell from the screen they're doing downhill skiing?

Some of us are already pretty snoozy this evening! I do love his fur, and his precious little whiskers.

Thus, our Sunday afternoon into evening. Quiet and restful. May you enjoy the same.